New Beginning
by BlackDove of Blessings
Summary: The ramifications after the war; before Buruto/Bolt
1. Chapter 1: A glimpse of the aftermath

Kakashi watched as Iruka moved around the room. His eyes had been following him a lot lately, and he means a lot! Iruka had first noticed when Tsunade had ordered Kakashi to take his medical leave. Because Kakashi wouldn't stay still in the hospital unit,  
he was confined to desk duty with him and several others who were injured.

After the war ended and everyone went on their way home, there was so much to do at home, yet everyone was exhausted! Funerals had to be held, MIAs where filled out and sent to the other nations to see if their personnel were in their hospitals or if  
they had truly run during the wars. KIAs had to be recorded and a new site for the expanded memorial stone had to be picked out and landscaped. Homes had to be rebuilt. Etc. All able bodies were needed to restore the village, and Kakashi was not able  
bodied.

Iruka didn't know all the particulars, due to so many of the fighters being under the infinite tsukuyomi, but Kakashi had sub-stained substantial injuries. The most talked about being the loss of his sharingan. He was curious of course, but seeing as  
Kakashi and himself weren't all that close, he just couldn't bring himself to ask. Kakashi of course wasn't offering details either.

The other most talked about event after the war was Naruto's successful defeat and retrieval of Sasuke Uchiha. Iruka still couldn't believe his wayward ex-student was back in the village. It had cost two friends an arm, lots of blood and anger but he  
was definitely back.

Speaking of ex-students Iruka glanced at the clock on the back wall, he needed to check in on Naruto and his rehabilitation progress. Iruka sighed, readjusting the pile of paperwork he was bringing back to his desk, there was still so much to do.

Iruka glanced at Kakashi, he was back to looking through paperwork, Iruka sighed in relief. Every time Iruka had caught him staring at him a warm fluttering had developed in his gut. It felt like he was floating on hot air, and also like he was going  
to throw up. Definitely pleasant and yet unpleasant to experience.

Gathering himself together, Iruka breathed out a sigh of resignation and began to sort and fill in the needed information requested on his paperwork.

...…

This is just a taste of my upcoming chapters.

It's been a long time since I wrote anything, so please be easy on the flames.

It's great to be back❣ 

Blackdove of Blessings


	2. Chapter 2: What is going on?

3 months ago...

Iruka awoke with a splitting headache. A combination of oversleeping and using too much chakra. The light filtering in through his eyelids was even painful. But he had class to teach and kids to wrangle in. Turning to his side Iruka's hand came in contact with hard packed dirt. Furrowing his forehead Iruka opened his eyes, wincing with pain. Only to see the dirt under his hand was really there.

Shocked and stunned Iruka turned to look around. All around him people were waking up from similar shock. Pods of what looked to be wrappings lay all around them. Now Iruka's brain seemed to jump into action. Jumping upright into a standing position he began checking on the people still laying on the ground surrounding him. First making sure their vitals were stable, seeing if anyone had any clues what was going on, etc. Within moments complete chaos ensued.

Iruka's chakra was severely low, yet so was every other shinobi in the area. The civilians were extremely lethargic and confused. Iruka began gathering his group together with others in his vicinity, they needed to gather information.

What became apparent right away was the fact that everyone had been affected by the mysterious sleep they had awoken from. Ninja and civilians alike. No one could remember how they had come to be asleep.

Once everyone in their area was checked over and their vitals announced stable. Iruka, as the highest ranking shinobi in the vicinity, grouped them together to start their searches around the rest of the village.

Breaking off into groups it was decided they would reconvene at the 'hokage' building. Some groups were left behind to guide the civilians straight to the hokage mountain as a point of location for refuge. If they were to figure out what was going on they needed to act quickly.

They had started off slow, due to the confusion, but their training was kicking in now. They were a ninja village for a reason. As they broke off into groups to move to other sectors. Slowly but surely they began to accumulate other ninjas to their group. Shouts of 'kai' also became an announcement of others in the area as people tried to awaken themselves from a genjustu that wasn't there. As each person joined their ranks, security questions were out towards them. After over an hours search Iruka's team encountered a messenger ninja who'd been sent out to collect any wondering shinobi, with the intention of alerting them to the lead village shinobi Izahomaru Gakai orders to meet at the 'hokage' building.

After receiving their orders Iruka's team moved in the direction of the 'hokage' building and the messenger continued on to find other shinobi.

When Iruka's team made it to the 'hokage' building they were met there by the other shinobis left in the village. Each time a new group joined them Izahomaru would have them report their findings. After an hour it appeared that no more shinobi would be joining them, Izahomaru cleared his throat and demanded their attention.

"As you are all aware. Something very strange has been going on." Admissions of acknowledgement sounded out. Holding his hand out for silence once more Izahomaru continued. "After all of you're reports I have come to a conclusion about what's going on."

"What you were all doing before you woke up has become irrelevant. They vary too much. From the reports you have all given; the only thing that is the same is that you all remember the war announcement against Madara Uchiha." Surprised exclamations sound out.

"How is that possible? That was months ago.." "No that was years ago!" "What are you talking about that never happened, it was just a scare tacit!" Yells of varying disagreement sounded out. Iruka too was very confused. War? What were they talking about? And where were the rest of their forces, the villages shinobi force had been cut in half, no more than half.

But that's when memories started to surface for him. Naruto saving them from Pain, the rebuilding of Konoha, the announcement of Donzo's death by Sasuke, Madara's announcement of war. The plans to unite with the other villages, the shinobi alliance, THE WAR HAD ALREADY STARTED!!

Iruka wasn't the only one beginning to catch up. With other memories being brought to the surface quickly. Iruka's head began to pound. Just what was going on!!!

Story has been re-read and edited


	3. Chapter 3: A Plan

Chapter Three: A Plan

The crowd was uproarious. The flood of memories coursing through Iruka's brain was causing him a major migraine. But one thing was clear, the war had started.

Iruka's memories included: the announcement, preparing his students for War Alert, getting himself mentally prepared to be sent to the front lines, being sent to keep Naruto out of the fighting, etc. He was remembering all of it.

The crowds voiced dimmed. Iruka turned his attention back to Izahomaru.

Izahomaru Gakai was a well respected chunin. He was 39 years old with three children and a loving wife. Two of his children had already passed through Iruka's class and the third was to start the next year. Iruka was familiar with him because of this and because of Izahomaru's involvement at the mission desk. He was a permanent "desk ninja".

Izahomaru had been a raising chunin, making his way steadily to jonin, when a mission gone wrong during SW3 (Third Shinobi War) leaving him mostly paralyzed on his right side. The hearing in his right ear was gone and his motor skills were weak and random. These injuries buried his career as a budding jonin and left him a permanent desk-chunin.

Izahomaru had been pretty depressed about this, but with the support of his family and comrades he had pulled through. The Third hokage, Saratobi, had felt that Izahomaru's usefulness was not at an end and after some time the Fourth had given Izahomaru a position as the mission desk manager. Izahomaru had a good brain and great negotiating skills. He was in charge of negotiating terms with customers and organizing the missions into the appropriate ranks (SSS, SS, S, A, B, C, D). The final say was of course given to the Hokage, but Izahomaru's job was important to the village.

Because of Izahomaru's ability for rational thinking and organizational skills Tsunade had left control of the village to him and a few other trusted shinobi. She felt that if anything happened Izahomaru's skills would come in handy with dealing with shinobi and civilians alike.

"I know this is all confusing, but we have to stay calm and plan our next move." Izahomaru looked around the crowd once more. The faces of his fellow comrades were a mix of pain, suppressed nerves and curiosity. "I believe we can all agree that whatever has happened since the announcement was made for war is false and that it is in relation to what is happening on the frontlines." A flutter of questions rose once more, "the longer I have been awake from my 'dream' state the more conflicting my memories become. For the time being we will be making a consensus about what needs to be done now." He looked over the crowd. "Whatever caused this disturbance in our memories may be a ploy to distract us from protecting our village. Those of you who have not given their accounts of their 'sleep' need to report to a Recording specialist nin." Here Izahomaru indicated 10 ninjas, of varying height and genders, with scrolls in their hands. "They will record your memories for you and then send you to your new assignments. We cannot leave our village unprotected. We have to maintain our heads and follow protocol until a time as news from the front reaches us. The Will of Fire must stay strong! Good luck, dismissed!"

Everyone began lining up in front of the Recording nins. Iruka pushed his way through the crowds towards Izahomaru. He had worked enough with Izahomaru that he felt he might get more detailed information from him.

After waiting a moment for Izahomaru to finish giving orders to some other nin, Iruka stepped forwards. "Izahomaru-san, I know your busy but have we truly received no news from the front?" Iruka had a horrible feeling about what was happening on the frontlines. He was becoming increasingly worried for the people on the front.

Being thrown months back into the 'past' was sending him reeling. He couldn't figure out his next move until he had a starting point. As a trained ninja, Iruka pushed his growing feelings and emotions to the back of his mind. He would deal with them later.

"Iruka-sensei, its true. After the 'waking' we haven't heard any news. Which until further notice, we'll be working under the assumption something big is happening and they can't reach us anymore. We have no idea if this sleep affected just us or all the villages. We need to focus on figuring out everyone's base knowledge and memories, find a starting point and move from there. We cannot let this mishap derail us from protecting our village. You will also report to a nin and move from there. That's all for now." Izahomaru gave Iruka's shoulder a pat. "You have a cool head on your shoulders, don't let this incident get to you. We have to keep moving forwards. As more details come to light we will let everyone know."

Iruka nodded. "I just feel so confused. I've been living in a 'dream' for months. I lived a whole life and now its false. I just can't get my feet back under me." Iruka tried to explain his helpless. He was feeling heartache and loss over a life that hadn't even happened. Izahomaru nodded.

"We just have to do our best until we know more. That's all the advice I can give you." Iruka nodded and stepped back as more ninjas reported to Izahomaru.

Iruka moved away and into a line. He just kept thinking about his life. How just this 'morning' he was waking up to his loved one, getting ready for another day at the academy. And of course his lovers attempts to keep him in bed a little longer.

Iruka felt moisture in his eyes as pain flared into his heart. 'It was all false. They were never together. It was a dream, a delusion. They never felt that way about me. It was just me.' He kept reminding himself of this as he made his way through the line.

When it was his turn for his memories to be recorded and sealed, and his new placement assigned to him, he missed the look of sadness and surprise on the Recording Nins face as she looked through Iruka's memories. Specifically who the prominent person was in Iruka's 'dream world'. She was under oath that only pertinent details would be shared and not the personal. But it was her duty to see everything and so she could almost feel the sadness and distress radiating from Iruka. Her own memories had already been recorded and she like everyone had had false memories planted. But where she just continued to live her normal day to day life with no large differences to affect her, Iruka's entire relationship had just disappeared. She finished her recording and handed Iruka his scroll and told him where to report. She felt sorry for all the ninjas who's lives had just been turned upside down. But she didn't have time to delve deeper into their internal pain. She had a line of ninjas in front of her. She pushed her own sadness to the back of her mind and after a time forgot all about the singular ninja with a scar across his face and heartbreak in his eyes. She had so many heartbreaks to record after all.

The incident was recorded as "The Awakening" in future history books.


End file.
